Multi-room entertainment system with in-room media player

• US 6,438,450 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonifi Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mark Dilorenzo
• Inventors: DiLorenzo, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Application Number:
  US09/724,806
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/234, 700/236, 700/241, 348/1, 348/385, 348/387
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/21 Billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4185 for payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A plurality of media data, including audio data or audio/video data, are stored in a central database. A plurality of in-room, user interface systems access the media data through a central server. The central server presents to the in-room system a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected. Upon selection of a media data by the user interface, the central server accesses the selected media data from the central database and transmits it to the in-room system. The media data may be transmitted by downloading the data to an intermediate system, playing the media data at the intermediate system and outputting the played media data to the in-room system through a communications line. The media data may also be transmitted by streaming the media data to the in-room system through a communications line. The central server may present to the in-room system any of a number of additional menus including a purchase menu through which the selected media data may be purchased, an activation menu through which communication between the in-room system and the central server may be established for a period of time, a radio menu through which any of a plurality of programmed media-data channels may be accessed and a mood menu through which the brightness of the image displayed on the in-room system video monitor may be affected.

Claims

1. A method of providing media data to any one of a plurality of in-room systems, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of media data in a central database;

presenting to the in-room system a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected;

upon selection of one of the media data, accessing the selected media data from the central database and transmitting it to the in-room system; and

presenting to the in-room system a purchase menu through which a copy of the selected media data may be purchased.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media data comprises audio data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the media data comprises audio/video data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-room system comprises a video monitor and the method further comprises:

presenting a mood menu through which the brightness level of an image displayed on the video monitor may be selected; and

upon the selection of a brightness level, affecting the brightness of the image independent of any brightness control inherent in the video monitor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the media data to the in-room system comprises:

downloading the media data to an intermediate system;

playing the media data at the intermediate system; and

outputting the played media data to the in-room system through a communications line.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the media data to the in-room system comprises streaming the media data to the in-room system through a communications line.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing data in the central database indicative of the number of times a media data is selected.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing data in the central database indicative of the number of times a media data is purchased.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering purchased media data to the in-room system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein delivering the purchased media data comprises downloading a copy of the media data to the in-room system.

11. A method of providing media data to any one of a plurality of in-room systems comprising:

storing a plurality of media data in a central database;

presenting to the in-room system an activation menu by which communication between the central database and the in-room system is established for a fixed period of time;

during the fixed period of time, presenting to the in-room system a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected during the period of time; and

upon selection of one of the media data, accessing the selected media data from the central database and transmitting it to the in-room system;

wherein the in-room system comprises a video monitor and the method further comprises;

presenting a mood menu through which the brightness level of an image displayed on the video monitor may be selected; and

upon the selection of a brightness level, affecting the brightness of the image independent of any brightness control inherent in the video monitor.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the media data comprises audio data.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the media data comprises audio/video data.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising storing data in the central database indicative of the number of times a media data is selected.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising presenting to the in-room system a purchase menu through which the selected media data may be purchased.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising storing data in the central database indicative of the number of times a media data is purchased.

17. A method of providing media data to one of a plurality of in-room systems comprising:

storing a plurality of media data in a central database;

programming a plurality of media-data channels, each of the plurality of media-data channels comprising a play list of a select plurality of the media data;

continuously transmitting each of the media-data channels over a different communications channel;

presenting to the in-room system a selection menu through which at least one of the media-data channels may be selected; and

upon selection of one of the media-data channels, connecting the in-room system with the communications channel associated with the selected media-data channel;

wherein programming the plurality of media-data channels comprises;

presenting to a plurality of in-room systems a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected for playing;

storing data in the central database indicative of the number of times a media data is selected; and

periodically updating each media-data channel play list to include that plurality of media data having/a selection number meeting a specified criteria.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the specified criteria comprises a selection number within a top number of all selection numbers.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the media data comprises at least one of audio data and audio/video data.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising, upon selection of one of the media-data channels, calculating a charge associated with the selection.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising presenting to the in-room system an purchase menu through which at least one of the select plurality of media data associated with the media-data channel may be purchased.

22. A method of providing media data to any one of a plurality of in-room systems having a video monitor, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of media data in a central database,

presenting through the video monitor a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected;

upon selection of one of the media data, accessing the selected media data from the central database and transmitting it to the in-room system;

presenting a mood menu comprising a brightness menu through which the brightness level of an image displayed on the video monitor may be selected; and

upon the selection of a brightness level, affecting the brightness of the image independent of any brightness control inherent in the video monitor.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the mood menu further comprises a scene menu through which any one of a plurality of mood scenes may be selected and the method further comprises, upon selection of the mood scene, transmitting the mood scene to the video monitor.